Press



July 22, 1941. R. ANDERSION- Paris's Filed Oct. 31,- 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- (Ittoinegs July 22,1941. R. 1'. ANDERSON- 2,249,724

I PRESS Filed Oct. 31, 1939 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nventor Gttornegs Patented July 22, 1941 I Raymond T; Anderson, Berea, Ohio, assignor to a corporation of Ohio The-V.-D. Anderson Company, Cleveland, Ohio,

-Applicatirn lctober 31, 1939, Serial No. v

:7 Claims, (01.109448) 7 This invention relates to presses and'partic; ularly to presses for treatment of oleaginous ma terials either of animal ,or vegetablefloriginfin order to remove their liquid content. "More particularly the invention relates to a method of driving a press unit in orderto increase the ef ficiency of the press, andreduce the amount of attention required to operate. it.

In presses of the continuous screw type, it

been usual to arrange the pressing worms horizontally inside of a reticulate barrel structure.

including knife bars for preventing rotation of the material and causing it tobuild up; pressure for the expressing of the liquid from the material under treatment. One exampleof such astruc b ture is thedisclosure of Anderson. PateritgNo.

22, 82, 'In such arrangements it isusual to,

have a horizontally mounted. barrel with evertical feed chute which discharges laterallyinto the inlet end ,of the barrelg The feed'jchu-tev usually includes mechanical feeding mechanismsuch asa spiral, a continuous 'worrnor the like. In the patent to Anderson No.3 1,780,218, forexe ample, liquidis expressed not only in the hori' zontal barrel, but preliminarily in the vertical chute, the result being ,to increase greatly the capacityofthepress.

Regardless of the typeof feeding mechanism employed and whether or not the feed chute includesiexpressing means, a power source must be employed in connection with the feeding means in the feed chute or hopper, and provisions must be made for variationsin the density. of

the material or stoppage in the .fe'ed ,fchute.

Press es of the continuous type have the pressure within the barrel of the presscontrolled largely by regulating the choke at the outlet end ofthe barrel, This regulation is required wheneverthe material ,under treatment changes substantially in character or when the specific material be ing treated is changed as, f orlexample, in press-i ing corn germs and thencopra. Extensive research has brought out the fact thatif material is fed to theffeednchuteatla variable rate, depending upon its characteristics,

the choke at the outlet endof the l'iorizontalbarrel may be fixed for. anyigiven material, and the feeding means be caused to impose a substantial-v ly constant discharge characteristic llIJOl'rilhd press, Various means of accomplishing this result have been proposed. Forexample, it has, been proposed todrive theshaft of the horizonthis arrangement there must be provision for slippage in the drive of the feeding means. This slippage has beenprovided for by use of an interposedi friction clutch which will slip whenthe resistance to'feed becomes too great, thus preventing damage to the mechanism.

This'arrangementis satisfactory for the treat: ment of certain materials, but it offers the disadvantage that the friction means is subject to wear, and static and dynamic friction are not the same, hence such a clutch is difiicultto main{ tain in satisfactory condition; {The presentinvention is, thereforeffdirected to a solution of the .p i foblem overcoming the disadvantages of the:arnangementpointed out above, while making it possible to drive the feedingmeans either from the source which drives the main press or to provide an individual power source for. each. While the device is applicable to use with presses hav:

ing separate drives forthe press and the feeding means, the use of a single driving means is preferred for I reasons of economy.

Que object of the present invention is, thereete y de a d i n m a for the fe d.

chute'of apress, in which'the rate of, feed is varied automatically by changes in the characten or condition of the material being fed.

, Another object of the invention is to utilizeimpositive means in thefform .of an hydraulic torque transmitterof the kinetic reaction type for/driving the feeding means of a press. Other objects and' advantages of the invention will appear "from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings-in which: j l

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side viewpartiall y in section of one form'rof press having the novel driving means of the present invention embodied therein; andv s Fig. 2 is afragmentary sectional view of a por-. tion of the variable feeding means of a press having hydraulic torque transmitting means of thepresent invention connected to it, the feed ing means, being driven by a motor separate from that of the main press. 7 s 7 Referring first to Fig. 1, reference character 5 designates the, base of a. continuous screw pressv here shown as of the, type disclosed in Anderson Patent No, 1,971,632. This base is hollow to form an oiljcollecting reservoir 6 to which oil is, delivered froma horizontal barrel 1 and a vertical barrel ,8. The horizontal barrel 1 is made up of a series of spaced barrel bars 9 with interposed knife vbars .I l, the, whole being heldtogether by longitudinal clamping members 12 and cross members l3. Rotatably disposed within the barrel is a main shaft I4 carrying a feed screw l5 and the usual interrupted screw flights I6, one of which is shown.

The inlet end of the barrel 1 is constructed as indicated in Patent No. above described, vvith a feed chute I1 within which is rotatably mounted a feed worm |8, and interrupted screw flights 9 cooperating with the barrel bars 90. and knife bars Ila of the vertical barrel 8 to feed material and express a portion 7 of its liquid content. The shaft I4 is driven at a predetermined speed by a motor 2| through interposed driving gears mounted in housing 22.

Associated with the feed chute 11 is the usual conditioning apparatus designated 23, from which material to be expressed is delivered into inlet I 24 of feed chute l'l. As here shown, the outlet end of the conditioner 23 contains a feed screw 25 to induce a continuous positive feed of mate rial into the chute IT. This may be driven through suitable actuating means which .includes a sprocket 25 and gearing 21, driven from motor 2| or other driving means, details of which are not important.

Feed screw l8 includes a shaft 28 which'carries both the feed screwand the interrupted worm flights cooperating withthe barrel 8. The shaft 28 may be driven at its upper end by a bevel gear 29 with cooperating bevel pinion 3| journalled in casing 32.

As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, .the bevel pinion 3| is keyed to a shaft 33 journalled in casing 32 and having suitable antifriction bearings 34 and 35 carried by a casting 35, bolted to theing housing 42 having a driving sprocket 43 keyed to it at 44. Roller bearings 45 and 46 are interposed between the cylindrical portion 42 and the shaft 33, while means, such aswashers. 41, 48, associated with the bearings 45 and 35, respectively, prevent escape of lubricant from these bearings, or the escape of hydraulic fluid from the casing 38, 39.. a

The casing contains hydraulic fluid such as oil for imparting movement to the shaft 33. For this purpose the half 39 of the casing carries a series of spaced radial vanes 49. Keyed to the shaft 33 as at 5| is a runner 52 carrying a series of radial vanes 53 of a construction similar to the vanes 49 on the element 39. The runner 52 includes a hub: 54, passing through an opening 55 in the casing half 39 and sealed against escape of hydraulic fluid by a washer 53. The end of shaft 33 is threaded at 51 to receive runneradjusting means comprising a nut 58, clamping sleeve 53, and a lock nut 6|. The bearing 46, disposed adjacent therunner 52, is held in posis tion by a nut 82 threaded onto the shaft 33.

The operation of the driving means in a press arranged as illustrated in Fig. 1, is as follows: The sprocket 43 is operatively connected to motor 2| and this driving connection includes a chain indicated diagrammatically at 63, driven from a sprocket 64 associated with the gearing in housing 22. As the sprocket 43 is driven, the casing containing the vanes 49 is caused to rotate, thus giving rotary movement to the oil or other fluid contained in the casing. This movement is transmitted by vanes 49 to the vanes 53 of runner 52, driving it and, in turn, driving the shaft 33. Bevel pinion 3| and bevel gear 29 drive the shaft 28 of the feeding means in feed chute l1. Whenever the load imposed upon shaft 28 by the 7 material being fed increases, the speed of drive ofrunner 52 is reduced, and whenever resistance to drive decreases, the speed of runner 52 increases. In this way, although sprocket 43 is driven at a constant rate, the drive of shaft 28 varies in accordance with the load imposed upon it by the material being fed to the press. The speed of the runner 52 will, of course, always be somewhat less than that of the vanes 49.

It is possible, by varying the position of adjusting nut 58 to vary the clearance between the vanes 49. and vanes 53, to vary the driving effect. Accordingly, the. nut 58 is moved to the left to increase the spacing between the vanes 53 and vanes 49, and to reduce the driving effect and, conversely, the runner is moved to the right to decrease the vane spacing and to increase the driving effect. Obviously the effect is to vary the maximum torque which may be transmitted, and thus vary the range of the automatic torque adjustment which occurs in response to the resistance offered by the material being fed. Suitable experimentation will determine the. proper relation for the treatment of any given material, Once the adjustment has been made, the motor 2| which will normally be arranged to drive the horizontal press at a substantially constant rate,

will drive the feedin means through the hy-- draulic drive and cause it to deliver material at a suitably coordinating rate, that is, the press barrels 1 and 8 will be, caused to operate harmoniously once, the choke associated with thehorizontal barrel 1 has been adjusted. -In this,

way, a single motor affords suitably coordinated action of the main and feeding presses without the constant attention of an operator. Likewise, a relatively simple driving means free from frictional wearing parts will be caused to vary-the drive of the feeding means in accordance with the conditions imposed by the material to befexpressed. 7

If, for any reason, solid material, suflicient to lock the vertical shaft, should be fed into the feed chute I1, slippage between the parts of the hydraulic torque transmitter will increase andinterrupt the drive without. damage to parts of the machine. The hydraulic torque transmitter.

has another advantage, namely, the conditions under'which it takes up and releases its drive as indicated in Fig. 1 but a separate motor 65- will drive the sprocket 43 through chain 65 as shown, or by suitable equivalent means. The main motor will as usual be arranged to drive'the main press at substantially constant speed. The

motor 65 will drive the sprocket 43 at a rate such as to vary the rate of feed of material in accordance with its characteristics or conditions. The details of operation will be carried out as set forth in connection with the arrangement of Fig. 1.

In the present description, the hydraulic driving means has been shown as applied to a particular type of continuous press, but it is to be understood that the use is not limited to the particular press arrangement illustrated, but may be applied to any continuous ress employing a continuous feeding means. Consequently, the claims are to be construed broadly and without limitation to the particular type of press or the particular driving arrangements shown.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a press of the continuous type for expressing liquid from materials con taining the same; continuous feeding means for the press; and means including hydraulic torque transmitting means of the kinetic reaction type operatively connected to said feeding means for causing material to be fed to said press at an automatically variable rate determined by the characteristics of the material under treatment.

2. In combination, a continuous screw press for expressing liquid from materials containing the same; continuously operating means for feeding said press; unitary means including an hydraulic torque transmitter of the kinetic reaction type for driving said press at a substantially constant rate, and said feeding means at a rate which varies with the characteristics of the material under treatment; and means for adjusting the torque transmitter to vary its range 4. In combination, a main continuous screw press having a horizontal barrel; a feeding press of the continuous screw type having a vertical barrel connected to discharge expressed material into the inlet end of the horizontal barrel;

a first motor for driving the main press directly; a second motor for driving the feeding means; and an hydraulic torque transmitter of the kinetic reaction type interposed between said second motor and said feeding press to permit variations in the rate of operation of the feeding press as the characteristics of the material under treatment vary.

5. In combination, a main continuous press having a horizontal barrel; a continuous feeding press having a vertical barrel connected to discharge expressed material into the inlet end of the horizontal barrel; a motor directly connected to said main press; hydraulic torque transmitting means of the kinetic reaction type, including two rotary vane elements operating in a fluid bath; means connecting one set of vane elements to the feeding press; and a motor for driving the other set of vane elements.

6. In combination, a main continuous screw press having a horizontal barrel; a feeding press also of the continuous screw type having a vertical barrel connected to discharge expressed material into the inlet end of the horizontal barrel; a motor; a hollow casing having vanes carried thereon; means for driving said casing from said motor; a vane element rotatably mounted in said casing and operatively connected to the movable element of the feeding press; a fluid in said casing for impositively transmitting the drive from said casing to said vane element; and means for adjusting said vane element with respect to the vanes on said casing to vary the range of response of said vane element and the movable element of the feeding press.

'7. In combination, a main press of the continuous type for expressing liquid from materials containing the same; a continuous feeding press for expressing the material and discharging it into the main press; a driving connection for the main press; a driving connection for the feeding press, said latter driving connection including an hydraulic transmitter of the kinetic reaction type and adapted to modify the rate of operation of the feeding press in response to resistance of the material being pressed; driving means to operate said presses through said driving connections; and means for adjusting said hydraulic transmitter to vary the range of its transmitted driving torque whereby the range of automatic regulation afforded by said transmitter is adapted to the resistance characteristics of different materials.

RAYMOND T. ANDERSON. 

